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Essentials

Essentials: The Compact Comic Con Photo Kit

Chris Gampat
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08/19/2013
3 Mins read

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Essentials The Compact Comic Con Kit (5 of 5)ISO 2001-160 sec

Essentials is a series where we round up specially curated kits for different photographers in different situations. Other items could surely be substituted, but these are what we personally recommend.

If you’re on the West Coast, Comic Con has happened already this year. But if you’re on the East Coast, you’re probably ready to lick a nerd to get your weekend pass. One trend that we saw for years and years was that folks tended to bring better and better cameras. And last year was when lots of folks started coming out and bringing the heavy artillery–we did too!. If you don’t feel like you’re up to having huge light setups, then consider our setup two years ago that earned us these photos.

Our setup was mobile, effective when used by someone that has become one with their gear, and can earn you quite a bit of photos worthy of your portfolio.

And with some time to go still until NYCC, you can probably save up to get all of this relatively soon.

Canon 5D Mk II

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Essentials The Compact Comic Con Kit (2 of 5)ISO 2001-80 sec

You don’t really need the latest and greatest DSLR to get the right photo at Comic Con. Though we’re recommending one of the best full frame cameras that Canon has ever made, we understand that not everyone can reach for such high fruit. But if you can spring for it, you’ll appreciate the versatility of its image quality, the organic look of the files, the fact that it has all the focusing points that you’ll really ever need.

Plus, it’s fairly simple to operate and can be found for good prices these days.

Buy Now: Amazon

Pro Tip: When you shoot, ensure that you carefully place the focusing points over the eye to get a portrait that pops. When you do this, don't focus and recompose. Instead compose the scene based on where the focusing points are first. You can always crop in post later on.
Pro Tip: When you shoot, ensure that you carefully place the focusing points over the eye to get a portrait that pops. When you do this, don’t focus and recompose. Instead compose the scene based on where the focusing points are first. You can always crop in post later on.

Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Essentials The Compact Comic Con Kit (3 of 5)ISO 2001-80 sec

We’d be nowhere without our 35mm lenses. The best thing about mounting this to a full frame DSLR is that you’ve got a full 35mm field of view. So why do we recommend a semi-wide angle lens instead of a traditional portrait lens? Well, as many of you know, Comic Con has lots of people swarming one another and constantly on top of one another. Since you’ll be working in tight spaces, you’ll need to shoot wider and take up less space lest folks walk into your shot.

Sigma’s 35mm f1.4 doesn’t distort that much either and the quality is better than Canon’s own L lenses.

Buy Now: Amazon

Pro Tip: People at the shows aren't models--unless they're booth babes (or dudes.) So when you approach a subject, talk to them about their character and have them mimic a famous pose that the character does.
Pro Tip: People at the shows aren’t models–unless they’re booth babes (or dudes). So when you approach a subject, talk to them about their character and have them mimic a famous pose that the character does.

Canon 580 EX II

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Essentials The Compact Comic Con Kit (4 of 5)ISO 2001-80 sec

Sure it isn’t the latest and greatest flash from Canon–but it has all the output that you’ll really need. For walking around a convention center floor, we recommend sticking this flash into your camera’s hot shoe rather than working with it off-camera and placing it somewhere else. It will also just make the flow of shooting much simpler.

Buy Now: Amazon

Pro Tip: Have fun with your subjects
Pro Tip: Have fun with your subjects

ExpoImaging Ray Flash Ring Flash Adapter

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Essentials The Compact Comic Con Kit (1 of 5)ISO 2001-80 sec

This is the beauty that will separate your photos from everyone else’s: a ring flash! For those of you that aren’t sure, a ring flash is a highly prized item often used in fashion photography. It allows you to have a totally shadowless look when the shutter speed and flash exposure and perfectly mixed. But it also gives this awesome ring-like catch-light in the eyes. We prefer to use this item with:

– The flash dialed up one extra stop

– F5.6 and 1/125th

– ISO 200

To give us a bit of an edgier look. It attaches to the head of your flash very securely so you should’ve ever have any fear of it falling off. Then the ring goes around the lens. For better results, add black gaffers tape to the inside area like we did in the photo above.

Buy Now: Amazon

Pro Tip: This is that catch light that we're talking about
Pro Tip: This is that catch light that we’re talking about. Look at her eyes

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We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.

Also, please follow us on Facebook, Flickr and Twitter.

 

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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
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